Matthew's flooding cuts off Fayetteville neighborhood

A washed out road in Fayetteville has cut off an entire neighborhood and residents say they have previously told the city it could happen.
Posted 10/12/2016, 11:00:32 PM Updated 9/23/2025, 7:51:31 PM

ROADS ARE CLOSED FOR HOW LONG

AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUR

TRAVEL.

>>> A WASHED-OUT ROAD IN

FAYETTEVILLE HAS CUT OFF AN

ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD.

PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE SAID THEY

TOLD THE CITY THIS WOULD

HAPPEN.

>> GILBERT BAEZ HIKED INTO THAT

AREA TODAY AND JOIN US WITH

THEIR STORY.

>> Reporter: IT WAS OCTOBER

8th, A YEAR AGO THAT I WAS UP

ON SIMPLE AVENUE WHERE THERE

WAS ANKERREN DAM WITH RESIDENT

WHO WERE AFRAID IT WOULD GIVE

WAY.

IT DID SUNDAY.

THE WATER WASHED INTO THIS LAKE

APPEAR WASHED OFFER THIS

EARTHEN DAM.

YOU CAN SEE THERE IS DAMAGE

HERE AS WELL.

THIS IS SIMPLE AVENUE.

IT USED BE THE ONLY SAFE WAY IN

AND OUT OF THE SUBDIVISION.

ED INTO WATER FROM HURRICANE

MATTHEW HAS CHANGED THAT.

>> MOTHER NATURE CAME APPEAR

JUST FINISHED THE REST FOR US

RIGHT NOW.

WE JUST HAD TO DO WHAT WE DID

NOT WANT TO DO AND THAT WAS

OPEN THE PRIVATE ROAD THAT

BELONGS TO RAY CONDA.

>> FREDDIE RIVER AIR AS

PRESIDENT OF THE HOME OWNS

ASSOCIATION OUT HERE.

THE STATE SHUT DOWN THE PARTNER

WAY TWO YEAR AGO BECAUSE IT WAS

UP SAFE.

NOW, COMMUNITY HAD TO REOPEN IT

TO GET IN AND OUT OF THEIR

NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> I HAVE ANOTHER ONE COMING.

>> Reporter: THERE ARE MORE

THAN 200 HOME IN THIS

COMMUNITY, A SIGN WARNED REDENT

TO CROSS THE DAM AT THEIR OPEN

RISK.

THEY DO IT ONE VEHICLE AT A

TIME.

>> PEOPLE ARE STILL DRIVING ON

IT.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WALKING ON IT.

IF THAT BRIDGE GOES, SOMEBODY

IS GOING TO DIE.

>> A BY CHUNK IS GONE.

THE REDENT HAVE NO CHOICE

INFORM THEY WANT TO GET IN OR

OUT, OF THIS TO TAKE A HIKE.

>> IT IS DANGEROUS ACROSS THAT

BRIDGE.

A LOT OF US HAVE BEEN RING TO

PARK OVER HERE.

THE TEARING UP THIS SIDE OF OUR

COMMUNITY TOO.

>> Reporter: LATE THIS

AFTERNOON OF COURSE CITY

ENGINEERS EXPECTED THE DAM HERE

AND SAID IT WOULD BE SAFE AS

LONG AS VEHICLES TRAVELED ONE

AT A TIME.

THAT IS NOT TOO REASSURING TO

FOLK WHO HAVE TO MAKE THE TRIP.

>> WHAT IT'S DONE IS PUT THEM

UNDER EXTREME LEVEL OF STRESS.

>> THERE WAS A GUY ON I ALAWN

A-- A GUY ON A LAWN MOWER WITH

A WOMAN ON HIS LAP WITH

GROCERIES ON HER LAP.

THEY ARE GO TO SPEED THIS UP

AND HOPE TO HAVE THIS READY AND

OPERATAL ON A TEMPORARY BASIS

BY SOMETIME NEXT WEEK.

THESE FOLKS NEED IT I DON'T ON

I ALAWN MOWER GOING TO GET

GROCERIES.

GUESS WHATEVER IT TAKES.

THANK YOU.